1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for supporting flags on automobile antennas and, more particularly, to indicia bearing flags and tubular supports in systems configurations wherein the tubular supports are removably positionable over antennas of automobiles and indicia bearing flags are selectively coupleable to the supports.
2. Description of the Background Art
Freedom of speech today takes many forms. One very popular form is in signs and flags on personal vehicles such as automobiles, trucks and the like. Such signs most commonly take the form of bumper stickers which make an expression of the owner's viewpoint on one matter or another. Such flags commonly include indicia such as writing, colors or drawings expressing the owner's preference for one particular sports team or another.
Many types of flags and devices for supporting flags, particularly on vehicle antennas, are known and are in wide use today. Typical examples of such flags and supports are described in the patent literature. Note for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,601,255 and 4,875,431 to Marcotti and Dobosz, respectively. These patents disclose flags releasably supported on upstanding rods such as vehicle antennas. These patents, however, require resilient components. By their very nature, resilient components have limited lives since resilience is normally lost through use or over simply the lives of the resilient devices.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,519,153 to Moon and 4,650,147 to Griffin disclose flags and supports removably mountable with respect to automobiles. Such supports of the disclosed devices are of non-tubular configurations, employ excessive materials for their purposes and are not suitable for mounting on antennas because of their complex designs.
Additional devices designed for attachment to antennas and the like are disclosed by Faragosa in U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,263; by Henry in U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,360 and by Liming in U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,563. Faragosa employs a complex support which is large and expensive and which has no provision for flag replacement. Henry employs a complex mechanism for attachment to an antenna with no flag or flag attachment structures used in association therewith. Liming employs a structure attachable over the upper end of an antenna requiring parts of complex shapes which add to the cost and, like Henry, there is no flag or flag attachment structures used in association therewith. As can be readily understood that there is nothing in the prior art which describes or suggests apparatus for supporting flags on automobile antennas wherein the flags are removably attachable to supports which, in turn, are readily mountable on automobile antennas in an efficient, convenient and economical manner as described herein.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system for removably displaying preselected indicia, the system comprising, a tubular support, the tubular support having an interior diameter and an exterior diameter and a length whereby when positioned over an antenna, the upper edge of the support will be located immediately beneath the enlargement at the upper end of the antenna for minimizing the chance of inadvertent lifting of the support from the antenna; and a pair of clips, each clip having an exterior portion and an interior portion coupled with respect to the support, the exterior portion including a two components, one component being resiliently urged into contact with the other to form a closed loop but movably away to create an opening therebetween; and a plurality of flags individually removably coupleable to the post, each flag including a sheet having indicia thereon and a periphery, an essentially rigid support structure secured within at least a portion of the periphery adapted to maintain the sheet in a predetermined orientation, and a pair of rigid grommets coupled with respect to the support structure to create an integral support assembly therewith, the grommets being formed with apertures and located whereby any flag may be removably attached to the post.
A further object of the present invention is to mount and remove a support with respect to an automobile antenna, with or without a flag attached to the support, in a convenient manner.
A further object of the present invention is to utilize the enlarged end tip of a vehicle antenna to securely retain a tubular support in position over the antenna during movement of the vehicle.
A further object of the present invention is to selectively attach one of a plurality of indicia-bearing flags on a tubular support positionable on an antenna.
A further object of the present invention is to maintain an indicia-bearing flag in an unfurled orientation through a peripheral support structure.
A further object of the invention is to secure a support assembly, grommets and a peripheral structure, with respect to a flag to extend the utility of the flag.
These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or by modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the summary of the invention, and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.